Streetcar Plan Slowly Getting Derailed

The decision on whether or not to build a streetcar,downtown, has been one of the hottest debates for the past two years. Cincinnatians have voiced their opinions from forums to the voting booth. This week, Ohio State Senator, Shannon Jones, included an amendment in the $7 billion, two-year transportation law prohibiting state or federal money from going to the Cincinnati streetcar.

The amendment in the law states :

No state or federal funds may be encumbered, transferred or spent pursuant to this or any other appropriations act for the Cincinnati Streetcar Project.

This is one of the many obstacles the streetcar is facing at the moment. Governor Kasich has strongly voiced his opposition toward appropriating the 52 million dollars for the streetcar.

Should State Senator Jones’s amendment be passed, the only money the city would have left for the streetcar would be the $25 million awarded by the federal government.